Tag Archives: 1600’s

Washing Your Hands?

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old German stand for washing fingers

Old German washstand for washing fingers,
not hands, before eating.

Shown here is one style of what we would call an old washstand.  These were used in Germany in the 1600’s for washing your fingers before eating.  Yes, I did say fingers instead of hands. You didn’t wash both hands, instead you washed only the first two fingers and thumb of each hand.  No housewife wanted to waste water, and the first two fingers and thumb is all you use when eating. (Notice next time you eat…this is true!)   And, I’m sure that if you are the one who has to go outside with a bucket, draw the water from a well, and then lug it inside to use, you don’t want to be making a lot of trips to the well.

Child’s Chair of the 1600’s

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Chld chair 1600s
Chld chair 1600s
I saw this chair in one of the museums in Frankfurt am Main.  Hmmm…looks more comfortable than chairs we have for kids today.  It's a nice leather chair.  With the tray it's not only good to use for feeding, but could also be a place to set a child with a toy or two for entertainment.  Would that have been the option before the days of playpens?
And, of course, I have to wonder…did Maria Sybilla or her daughters ever sit in a chair like this?

Frankfurt City Wall

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Frankfurtcitywall
Frankfurtcitywall
Since my research in Germany began with the city of Frankfurt am Main in the 1600's, I wanted to try and get a feel for the size of the old city that for centuries had been enclosed within stone walls.
Frankfurt today is a large, busy city with a skyline of shiny steel skyscrapers.  It is the second largest metropolitan area in Germany.  A far different size city from the one I was seeking.
I decided that perhaps seeing what was left of the old city wall would help.  I knew there was a portion of it still standing; I had seen a sign pointing in its direction.
At first I didn't even see the wall.  It was set back, bordering a small, scruffy-looking area full of weeds and trash.  A splash of color–of all things, graffiti, caught my eye.  Part of the wall had been opened up to allow traffic through.  It continued on the other side of the street as a back wall for what looked like a preschool playground.  Tall apartment buildings crowded in, overwhelming the little stone wall.
Not much left.  Very disappointing.
The city hurried through and around it scarcely acknowledging its existence.  A small plaque lets any visitors who might come this way know that this stone wall is all that is left of the grand, protective city wall from the 12th century.